Can D3 overdose?

[hong]

I just curious about is that vitamin D3 can overdose if given too often to your lizard?Any ideas?

 

[ngrdawg]

I have read that D3 is toxic to geckos but, I am unsure as to the validity of that statement. It may still be a subject of some controversy. I try to limit the D3 intake of my geckos by alternating between calcium supplements that do and do not contain D3. I also do allot of gut-loading to minimize the need for reptile vitamin supplements which normally contain D3. If anyone has any further insight on this topic I would be interested in knowing the toxicity level of D3 as well.

 

[Tony C]

You can definitely overdose on D3, it is a fat-soluble vitamin, so it builds up in body fat, which leos have a lot of. You may not see immediate effects, unless you REALLY overdose them, but if they go off feed, or get sick, or something else happens to make them start losing weight, all that built up D3 starts to be released...

 

[Enigmatic_Reptiles]

+1 with Tony

 

[Taquiq]

+1. Too much can really hurt them.

 

[BGalloway]

An overdose of any mineral or vitamin can cause problems. Moderation is the key to feeding and supplementing any animal, be it reptile, mammal, etc.

 

[Shera]

Yes, vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and is toxic at high enough levels because it cannot be eliminated by the kidneys like water soluble vitamins. This is the same for humans and all animals.

 

[Cephalectomy]

I've heard that yes, D3 can cause problems at high levels but that the amount of D3 you'd find in your typical Calcium+D3 supplement is far too low to be of concern.

This is part of a post by Mathew Parks over at the Pangea Forums (I also own a crested gecko, which are also nocturnal like Leos) - "D3 is a fat soluble vitamin, so it can be overdosed, and this is why people freak out about supplementing it and why there are so many posts saying "never use calcium supplements with d3" and so on. I have never heard of a substantiated case of vitamin d3 overdose in any reptile (and by substantiated I mean a vet conducted blood tests, not someone blaming a mysterious death on d3), but I do hear of calcium deficiency and metabolic bone disease almost every day. A gecko would have to ingest a ton of d3 over an extended period of time before it built up to toxic levels, and commercial calcium supplements simply don't contain enough d3 to cause overdose when they are used properly. Certainly dusting a dozen or two crickets a week with a commercial calcium and d3 supplement will not even come close to causing an overdose."

 

[JordanAng420]

I've heard that yes, D3 can cause problems at high levels but that the amount of D3 you'd find in your typical Calcium+D3 supplement is far too low to be of concern.

This is part of a post by Mathew Parks over at the Pangea Forums (I also own a crested gecko, which are also nocturnal like Leos) - "D3 is a fat soluble vitamin, so it can be overdosed, and this is why people freak out about supplementing it and why there are so many posts saying "never use calcium supplements with d3" and so on. I have never heard of a substantiated case of vitamin d3 overdose in any reptile (and by substantiated I mean a vet conducted blood tests, not someone blaming a mysterious death on d3), but I do hear of calcium deficiency and metabolic bone disease almost every day. A gecko would have to ingest a ton of d3 over an extended period of time before it built up to toxic levels, and commercial calcium supplements simply don't contain enough d3 to cause overdose when they are used properly. Certainly dusting a dozen or two crickets a week with a commercial calcium and d3 supplement will not even come close to causing an overdose."

+1!!!!

 

[musick]

+1!!!!

+2

Vitamin D3 is a vitamin that helps with the absorption of calcium. If you don't have enough, the calcium just hangs around in your body, and doesn't actually hep to make strong bones. Most animals make their own D3 simply by having exposure to the UV in sunlight...it is a natural process. Since leopard geckos don't see the sun much, they get theirs from their food, so you should dust your feeders with it.

Cant speak for all but my Ca+D3 (Exo-terra) contains 65 mg/kg and comes in a 90g bottle which last me about 2 years (including waste via the shake-n-bake method). This equates to less than 5.85mg of D3 for over the course of close to 2 years - NOT including waste. This is at most 0.009mg per day, assuming 100% utilization. That means less than nine one-thousandths of a thousandth of a gram per day. I dont dust everyday, so my gecko receives even less than that.

My opinion - there is no risk. I have kept reptiles (and used Ca+D3) for many, MANY years. Until I see scientific, peer-reviewed articles that say otherwise, I will stand by my statement.


As helpful as the internet is, it is a source of tremendous disinformation. Just because someone says D3 is bad, it does NOT make it so. Multiple scientific, peer-reviewed articles are essential to prove or disprove a hypothesis.

 

[musick]

I have a subscription to nature.com (so I can't provide links) and 2 articles recommend 800 IU daily of vitamin D3 for humans to give the best support of bone health.

Using my above figures, there is 2948 IU/bottle. This equates to 4.2 IU/day for your gecko.

Obviously we are different in our needs, but OD'ing on D3 seems, very, VERY unlikely for your leo.

 

[David Evans Reptiles]

Great thread. I don't believe I have put that much thought into why I was told D3 was bad for the geckos. Now that I have seen this post I will start using D3 instead of grinding my own calcium.

 

[Boa'sUnlimited]

Hey guys, im curious.

My bottle is 50g, or 1.7 Oz

The D3 vitamin in it says "8750 IU"

Why is the D3 in my bottle so high? I read a post just before mine that says thier bottle only contained like 2500 IU?

Should I be concerned? Maybe its better to go buy another bottle with less D3 in it?

 

[miiike]

I have never heard of a substantiated case of vitamin d3 overdose in any reptile (and by substantiated I mean a vet conducted blood tests, not someone blaming a mysterious death on d3), but I do hear of calcium deficiency and metabolic bone disease almost every day.

This may be an interesting read.

http://www.forums.repashy.com/145980-post4.html

 

[Mich]

Wow I was surprised at how equal the vote seemed to be on this topic. Like Ngrdawg I keep a variety of herps and have calcium both with and without D3. For their calcium dish I use the stuff without and I dust their food with multi vitamins and Ca with D3.

 

[Dog Shrink]

Mind you some of this is for reptiles in general but using some logic the educated mind can see the parts that will apply to leopard geckos.

An interesting article for this arguement: "hypervitaminosis-D is not known to occur in basking reptiles (or any other ... has been isolated from gecko skin samples exposed to sunlight)." http://www.uvguide.co.uk/vitdpathway.htm

and another: http://hubpages.com/hub/Ultraviolet-Light--Vitamin-D--and-Reptile-Health

Hypervitiminosis can happen any time ANY suppliment is given in excess... the chances are variable amongst each vitimin, but the possibility does exist, minute tho it may be.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I have never heard of a substantiated case of vitamin d3 overdose in any reptile (and by substantiated I mean a vet conducted blood tests, not someone blaming a mysterious death on d3), but I do hear of calcium deficiency and metabolic bone disease almost every day.

My vet is the president of the ARAV, consulting vet for the Oakland Zoo's Reptile and Amphibian Department, and the vet for the East Bay Vivarium. He has never seen a case of hypervitaminosis D in a leopard gecko.

 

[SeyrenEremes]

so what vitamin i must chose for my leos?? with D3 or with out D3??

im use dolomit for my substrate for the calcium & i want to add vitamin but dont know what i must chose with or with our D3

 

[nessa]

So just lightly dusting the crickets with the flukers calcium plus vitamin d3 should be okay?

 

[Gecko977]

I do..